Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California announced Tuesday she will not seek reelection in 2024, officially signaling the end of her political career after more than 30 years in office. In recent years, her Senate colleagues have expressed concerns over her health condition and ability to perform her duties.
Feinstein, 89, is one of the oldest senators still in office and, as of November, is history’s longest serving female senator. Her historic career has included her influence on significant legislation throughout the decades.
“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024,” she said in a statement posted on Twitter. Feinstein said she will serve the remainder of her current term. In her two remaining years in office she said she hopes to pass legislation that will improve the lives of Americans.
Feinstein expressed gratitude to the people of California, as well as a determination to finish her service passing “commonsense legislation to fight the epidemic of gun violence, preserving our pristine lands and promoting economic growth.” She vowed to use her seniority on the Senate’s powerful Appropriations Committee to ensure Californians get their “fair share of funding.”
Feinstein’s career milestones included many “firsts” for women. She was appointed to serve as the first female mayor of San Francisco after then-Mayor George Moscone was assassinated in 1978. She later ran for governor in 1990, but came up short. After that setback, she won a special election for the U.S. Senate two year later.
The Golden State senator has influenced some of the Senate’s most monumental legislation in recent history. In 1994, the second year of her service, she wielded her influence to implement a federal assault weapons ban that has since expired. Her oversight of the intelligence community in 2014 led to a report on the use of torture by the CIA and the passage of anti-torture legislation.
She was the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Intelligence committees, making her the first woman to oversee the presidential inauguration and transfer of power. When first elected she was one of only two female senators, now there are 25 women in the U.S. Senate.
Feinstein said on CNN that she told her colleagues of her decision Tuesday at the Senate Democratic caucus lunch. The death of her husband last year had a particular influence over her decision to retire, she said at the lunch according to senators present.
In anticipation of her announcement, a number of California Democrats have already launched their campaigns to replace Feinstein in 2024. Rep. Adam Schiff announced his candidacy last month, leaning upon his role as House manager over Trump’s first impeachment trial as evidence of his qualifications.
Tuesday, Schiff thanked Feinstein for her “immense” accomplishments as a “trailblazer.”
Fellow California Rep. Katie Porter was the first to launch her campaign for Senate last month. “Especially in times like these, California needs a warrior in Washington,” Porter said in her announcement video. Tuesday she thanked Feinstein for creating “a path for women in politics.”
Other Democratic candidates are rumored to be preparing their own launch for the seat in 2024, including California Reps. Ro Khanna and Barbara Lee. A number of Democratic campaign strategists told Vanity Fair that Californians should prepare for a “bruising” race.
Feinstein was asked by CNN if she plans to endorse anyone, but she deferred until later to perhaps weigh in on the race after it develops. “I think it’s important and we’ll see,” she said.